Prisoner Of War
by Vanrei Hellionist
Summary: When Dave talks to the old man that has been at Kerning City for years, sitting near an abandoned building motionless, he finds out there is more to this man that he thought. A painful past is being revealed as the man tells his story word by word.


**A/N:** Hopefully you like this story, I made this in a day, now I have a running nose and a backache, enjoy the my one shot story!

Dave was finishing off his last hour of training near Kerning City, Dave Estrovert, who is known for his intellectual properties had wanted to become the best cleric anyone has ever seen and his dream is going as strong as ever as he reached level 30 after months of dedication and training. Walking back to Kerning City and get a cab to Grendel's residence was at the moment what Dave wanted to do.

But there was an old man that Dave had been eyeing on. The old man had been there since he ever came, whether it was in the rain, hot weather or when fogs got more hazy than usual, the hobo was always there. It seemed he never moved from his position and in reality he never did. Dave approached the man; he looked like he had binded with the concrete wall. The man had moss and dust everywhere on his body. He was sitting against the concrete wall, shutting his eyes while his snow cap smelt like a rotten carcass.

"Hey." said Dave in the most polite way.

"Go away, I have no intention of seeing anyone." said the old man with a fragile voice.

The old man's eye suddenly opened underneath the ever-growing moss. He wiped away to reveal a small eye that had no intention of seeing anything.

"My name is Freeman."

"Nice to see you, Freeman." said Dave trying to smile.

Dave seemed to pity the old man. He had been here so long and nobody ever noticed him. This man has been covered in moss, what does he eat? Does he drink? Does he even breathe? Dave's mind was puzzled, but he was only asking obvious questions, he does eat, drink and breathe, but only in unexpected and unusual ways.

"So what's all this is about?" said Dave.

"Don't you move or something?"

"Do you want to hear a story stranger?" said Freeman.

Freeman's arm began to crack as he lifted his arm to put it on his chest. Freeman looked so weak but was still strong to move a part of him. Freeman wiped his head full of moss, only to reveal white hair all over his face except for his eyes.

"So stranger, do you believe someone when he says he has been abandoned by God?"

"You should believe them, as God has abandoned me..."

"This is my story stranger..."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

The wind hit Freeman's face, he was enthusiastic as ever, ready to act at given command, he was a built soldier who was locking arrows into his new weapon, a Dark Metus supplied by Victorian military. Freeman gestured towards his comrades as he looked below to see an astonishing view from above, but even with the most beautiful view, Freeman was still emotionless and cold, as soldiers were built to be cold.

"Freeman."

"You do know we're going to end up in Hell, why don't you take someone along with you?"

"I will, but only if necessary."

Commander Turk only laughed.

"You're still soft kid." said the Commander.

"But you got guts, even when you know this is a dangerous mission."

"Danger isn't the problem; we need to defeat this thing as soon as possible."

"Because in war, there are always casualties."

"And I'm not going die in this war, as it has been decided that I will live through it."

"Who decided it?" said Commander Turk.

"Me." said Freeman.

"Let's see how good you are in the field as good as you talk. This is war, Freeman."

"Real war." finished Commander Turk.

The chopper was near its landing point. Everyone was ready; Freeman tried to concentrate with his muttering chant, Commander Turk ready with his Berserker sword, Felicia brandishing her Steelies and Nevan playing with his dagger. All of them were waiting this moment, to fight againstthe ultimate evil. It was either be a hero of war or be a casualty of war, and none of them wanted the latter. The Commander gestured as the chopper landed.

As the chopper tried to land something got a hold of the chopper's blades.

"Damn!"

"Something is pulling us up!" said the pilot.

Suddenly a red wyvern appeared at the windshield. It head butted the windshield and bit off the pilot's head, his body tilted over and got out of the chopper in a bloody fashion. Commander Turk immediately ordered the squad to attack the red wyverns. They were pulling up the chopper to stop the unit from landing.

"Felicia! Send those winged bastards to Hell!" shouted Commander Turk.

"With pleasure, sir." replied Felicia.

Felicia's body was half out of the chopper. She tried aiming as the chopper shook vigorously. She hit a wyvern that was lifting the chopper, it got angry and released. Felicia smiled but her smile won't last for long. The angry wyvern immediately bit off her hand. Felicia shouted in agony as her hand gushed out uncontrollable amounts of blood. She crippled on the floor of the chopper gripping her bloody hand.

Commander Turk was angry and attacked the winged beasts. Nevan gave words of courage to Felicia as to endure the pain. What was Freeman doing? Well he saw something and it made the problem a lot worse.

"More wyverns!" shouted Freeman.

A wyvern flew pass the chopper in such great speed. Freeman was angry as he readied himself in a stance, ready to kill some enemies. He did as he was told in the military. The best way to kill something flying alone separated from the pack was to use Strafe, and the homing arrows made things easier. He immediately concentrated muttering words as eight arrows materialized in front him. He shot those arrows as well as shouting the word "Strafe!"

The arrows were homing at their target, a flying wyvern with incredible speed. The arrows hit its target perfectly, wounding the wyvern as it goes on a crash course to fall on the ground. Freeman concentrated even more as he gathered more energy to kill a hell load of wyverns.

"Come on!" shouted Freeman in a roar of glory.

More wyverns came as they get struck by Freeman's deadly arrows. Freeman was in a complete state of concentration, it made him into an invincible killing machine. Freeman killed as Felicia gathered enough strength to stand up while the Commander was busy getting the wyverns grip off the chopper. Commander Turk was one great warrior as he horizontally slashed the wyverns. His attacks were slow but accurate and vibrated with such force that the wyverns died clinging their claws on the chopper.

Commander Turk was left with one wyvern as he gathered a grand Power Strike to kill the last wyvern. But things didn't go as smoothly as it seemed. Smoke materialized from on top of the chopper, beside Commander Turk. Turk was thinking "What the hell is that?!" as he stopped his attack. Suddenly a hand was materialized as it pushed away Turk's Berserker. In a flash the smoke formed an elf, black hair and with a jester mask on. He had a black suit to fit the theme of a mysterious enemy. Turk was bombarded with a right punch in this face.

He was angry and tried to swing his Berserker but immediately got another punch to the stomach chin and face. The attacker confiscated Turk's sword and threw it off board. Turk went off board too as he had been pushed by the attacker's leg.

"Commander!" shouted Nevan.

"I'll get you!" shouted Nevan furiously.

Nevan swung around his dagger like an angry barbarian but he was no much for the unknown man. The anonymous person went on board with the rest of the crew. He gave Nevan a hard time as he punched with awesome speed and somersaulted in the end. Lastly, he grabbed Nevan's head and lifted him up in the air. The attacker moved his arm out of the chopper.

"Die as I have died." said the attacker in a demonic voice.

Nevan's head was crushed to a pulp as his body drifted in the cold air of Henesys. Felicia was in shock as tears came out of her eyes. Nevan was her only brother and it all came down to this...? Felicia grabbed Nevan's dagger and tried to stab the intruder but a quick hand quickly stopped her from doing that. She screamed in pain as her flesh started to burn. The intruder's hand was scorching up a fire of demonic proportions. A part of Felicia's skin became black because of the burns from the demon's demonic demonstration of unrivaled power. The figure released Felicia's hand.

Behind Felicia was a ready man with a bow and arrow at hand.

"Go to Hell, as I have gone to Hell." said Freeman.

He let go of the bow's string and let the law of destructive matter do its thing. The Arrow Bomb struck cleanly as the intruder was exploded off his feet. With a great demonic scream as it fell down to Victoria Isle. Finally, Freeman shot a homing Arrow Bomb and killed the last remaining wyvern gripping the chopper.

The chopper came down to Earth immediately, Freeman immediately controlled the chopper and landed safely somewhere off the landing point.

"Stay calm, Felicia. I will try to get some help. You stay here." advised Freeman.

"No…" groaned Felicia.

"I will…join this… war….Freeman…" said Felicia using the last amount of her energy to smile.

Felicia went into a state of shock, she lost too much blood, she couldn't be saved. Freeman couldn't do anything. This war is now between him and the evil that rampaging Victoria Isle. At the very least, if Freeman ever died, he wanted to die fighting a worthy enemy, and not some pitiful monster.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Scram." said Freeman.

A lot of Cursed Eyes were closing in on the chopper; Freeman gave them a second warning after his first. The Cursed Eye looked with such eerie gaze that it would scare the wits out of a person, but Freeman wasn't a person, he was a soldier.

"Bug somebody who is worthy of your match."

Even after that, the Cursed Eyes still closed in and this made Freeman angry. One of the Cursed Eyes jumped on his face and bit his head, but Freeman didn't feel a thing. Freeman materialized an arrow, he grabbed the Cursed Eye by the neck and whispered "Inferno". He stabbed the arrow in the Cursed Eye's eye and to make the monsters retreat, he bit off bits of the Cursed Eyes flesh to show he is superior.

This even disgusted the Cursed Eyes and they retreated. Freeman then armed himself with his Black Metus and walked off to the landing point. Once there, he checked for any sign for life. He gave a greeting but it only echoed through the empty camp. He then walked up a road that leads him to Henesys. Henesys that time was in ruins. Every building has been ransacked and crumbled by opposing forces.

The stench of death filled the air as rotting corpses of both monsters and man stay motionlessly on the almost rocky terrain. Only one or two trees remain as seen by Freeman, he then saw a light emitting from a ransacked building. Freeman went to the building with caution as he prepared for the worse. But in the end he found a survivor.

"You there, identify yourself." said Freeman in the most professional way.

"The terror…the terror… It is… dark….so dark…" said the wounded survivor.

"What do you mean?"

"It….wore…black….and…had…a mask….." groaned the wounded survivor as he went into a critical state.

"Help me….help me…."

"I can do nothing, sir. I am sorry." said Freeman in a low voice.

Freeman was never used to see someone die in front of him. He would turn his head until it is all over.

"Die…as I have…died…" croaked the survivor.

"Died…as I have died…."

"Died…as...I have…..died…."

Looks like Freeman's guess was right, it was the black figure from the chopper, the one that killed the Commander and Nevan. Freeman wanted the inhuman beast to pay, to pay with his life.

"Rest in peace my friend, rest in peace." said Freeman as he went away from the scene.

Freeman walked a mile long through the rubble and deserted ruins of Henesys. He heard faint screams and shouts as he approached near the end of the gate that would lead him into the hills of Henesys. There he found military personnel guarding a fortified gate.

"Welcome to the War Zone." said the MP.

"Do you wish to go inside, Major Freeman?'

"Let me in, it is time for war."

"As you wish."

The MP shouted "Open the gates!" as the gate opened before him. Before he got in, burning bodies were flung right at him but it missed him by an inch. Freeman gave a long and heavy sigh, what awaits him at the War Zone is still unknown, but he guessed there's only one way to find out. He went in. The gates closed behind him; the cranking mechanism of the gate made Freeman feel uncomfortable but he continued to move along the path of death. The things before the gates were nothing that Freeman would encounter here, in the War Zone.

__________________________________________________________________________________

As the gates closed, Freeman immediately started running for his life, large monsters such as golems and wyverns dominated the field with their mighty power. The golems crushed everyone to a bloody pulp and swung their gigantic rocky arms and the wyverns ate and killed everyone that was in their path.

Freeman dodged flying corpses as he ran across the field into a bunker. Inside the bunker was an Archmage concentrating hard on a certain spell, beside him were two Night Lords guarding the Archmage.

"Nice to see you again, Freeman." said an old friend of Freeman.

"Nohman." replied Freeman.

"Can you help us with our task? We need to guard the Archmage as he's trying to cast a Meteo." said Nohman.

"Why is it taking so long? I thought the Meteo spell only needs a few minutes? I've been running through the fields for 15 minutes." asked Freeman.

"He needs to direct the Mana only to the monsters, not our allies. We have thousands of them on the field, we don't want to lose all of them, eh?" answered Nohman.

Freeman finally understood, he then guarded with Nohman and the other Night Lord as well. Soon, a golem came close to the bunker. It observed it as Nohman, Freeman and the Night Lord froze in their positions. Suddenly the Night Lord threw 3 stars at the golem and it hit right in the eye. The golem's rocky exterior cracked as it gave an uneasy death rattle. It exploded into pieces. The other monsters stop attacking and went to attack the bunker.

'Take that!" said the proud Night Lord.

"Seemus! Damn it!" shouted Nohman.

The monsters were closing up quick. The golems ran as fast as they could with a loud boom with every step as wyverns flew to the bunker and roared while slamming it with their horns. Suddenly the Archmage collapsed on the floor. Nohman examined him as this was the Archmage's final words before fainting.

"Finished…" muttered the Archmage.

"Everyone get down!" shouted Nohman.

Freeman jumped to the floor and Seemus hid behind a table. Wyverns roaring the bunker and golems smashing it with their gigantic flailing arms, they were unknown to the death from above. Hot rocks burning fiercely through the cold sky immediately materialized from nowhere. All of them hit their target with a loud bang. It took 2 minutes before the trembling, the death rattles and the deafening noises to end. Freeman and the group were lucky as the bunk was fire-proof. Soon after, an army of allies shouted in glory as they have defeated the monsters that attacked them.

Fueled with glory, the army ran towards the hills of Henesys. It sounded like a large stampede from down below the bunker, but soon Freeman, Nohman and Seemus were running as well to prepare for their glory.

"To war!" shouted Nohman as he shook his fist up in the air while coming out of the bunker.

Freeman and Seemus followed suit while Nohman carried the fainted Archmage towards the hills. Nothing felt greater than winning a battle for Freeman, but he still isn't satisfied as the war isn't over.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Freeman was thankful to have a group with these elite fighters, even though he lost his original unit even before he landed, he will win this war for them, for his fallen comrades. Freeman tried to hold back his emotions. The unit he was in was his only family... Freeman, Turk, Felicia and Nevan were what he called them as a family.

They were a family for 6 years, until this day came. Felicia used to joke constantly about Nevan's fear of forks and Fire mages while Nevan used to pee on Turk's rations during survival training and Freeman as well used to irritate Felicia with his stupid ideas when the team faced a roadblock during their training. Even after 6 years, they never felt upset about no another and at the very least forget it if one of them did something wrong. They may not have been his real family but they were the greatest people in Freeman's life, the greatest.

"We arrived." said Nohman who snapped Freeman's out of his blank gaze.

"Our army seems to be attacking! I'm going to join too!" said Seemus as he rushed to the scene of the war.

"Damn, that Seemus never gives up does he?" said Nohman.

"I will retreat near some caves while you go out there and win the war."

"Win it for us, champ. Win it for all the people in Victoria."

"I will, Nohman." said Freeman.

Without any more delay, Freeman rushed into the battlefield while he roared a sound full of hatred.

"I'm going to get you demon!"

Freeman ran closer and closer towards where the battle was taken place. He immediately readied himself for to concentrate on his new skill that he never used.

"Arrow Rain!"

A light blue arrow seemed to go up the atmosphere, but this was just another excuse to delay the terror that awaits the enemy, as the battle raging between the allies and the monsters raged on, the sky turned dark for a second and the atmosphere had a faint light blue glow to it, it was no doubt Freeman's Arrow Rain at maximum effect. The arrows rained on the monsters as some retreated while some faced their deaths early, but for sure is, Freeman was ruling the battle field with his majestic bow and no one can stop him… Well that was what he thought.

In a flash, the battle was won once more but this time, another battle came sooner. Bodies were thrown high-speed into the air, some even landed near Freeman and knew who this person was. Before the troops had a chance to see who it is, It came with such speed that is invisible to the naked eye. It punched through every troop in the field, they all were flying corpses and had no chance to escape, this was an inevitable fate for those that are weak who made their way to the post-apocalyptic wasteland that is known as the hills of Henesys.

"You…." said the figure.

"I will kill you…"

"Not a chance in Hell." said Freeman as he prepared his bow to land an arrow on the damned beast's body.

But it was too soon for Freeman to claim a victory. Freeman couldn't react fast enough with the attacker's immeasurable speed. It immediately appeared behind of Freeman's back just when the beast was a kilometer away from him. It punched and penetrated Freeman's body, his liver stopped functioning fully. If that was not bad enough, It's hand emitted sparks that later turned into an inferno. Inside Freeman's body was being boiled at over 300 degrees for over 3 seconds, Freeman immediately collapsed and panted on the ground after It released its hand from Freeman's body.

"I am not finished." cracked the demonic voice.

It grabbed Freeman at the back of the throat. Gush of wind was whirling around the two as it got bigger and turned darker and darker. In an instant they were teleported.

Freeman noticed the surrounding after the black wind disappeared, his eye sight was beginning to turn blurry as he noticed that the surroundings looked like somewhere in the parts of Kerning City. Freeman thought this would be his final resting place, but he was wrong, the war was not over yet. A figure walked towards Freeman, it was the same figure, it had a jester mask with an unchanging smile at the mask's exterior and the same black robe, unscratched as always.

"At the end of this war, I will not die. I will return to my friends that I once loved and cared. You took them away from me, now I need to join them in their happy circle up there… in the nice blue sky… Dying…is not…an option…" said Freeman as blood flowed throughout his mouth. He was unable to speak anymore as the blood running out did not let him.

"Pitiful…" said the figure.

"I thought you were a match for me, for surviving this long."

"I will let you die in peace, as you are one of many honorable prey that I have met." said the demonic voice who actually is not inhumane at all.

"Thank…you…"

__________________________________________________________________________________

Everything went blank. Freeman was finally able to rest after fighting so long, so hard. Even though he may have failed his mission, at least he gets something he always deserved; a break. The cold winds from the valley of death washed over Freeman. Freeman was alone, he was very alone. Freeman didn't see his fallen comrades, all he saw was total blackness as the winds got stronger and stronger. Is he in Heaven or Hell? Or is he in between? He didn't know, but it seemed like a fate worse than death. But something was not right, occasionally, colors would passed through and suddenly, a stream of pain rushed into his body. What is happening?! Is he going to Hell? Did he did something wrong? No. It was something far better.

"Freeman!"

"Freeman!"

The voice was all a blur at first, but it became clearer and clearer. Freeman started to see again and suddenly, boom! A large explosion was heard. Freeman's eyes were opened wide instantly and he panted heavily. He could not believe who was beside him, it was Turk! Freeman was overjoyed! He was still alive!

"Felicia! He's alive! Freeman is alive!" shouted Turk.

"Good! Ask him to get his butt in gear and help me and the army to defeat the masked freak!" shouted Felicia as loud bangs and thousands of troops were fighting the masked enemy.

"Thanks for reviving him." said Turk in gratitude.

"No problem, it is our job to make sure you people stay alive." replied a Bishop.

"How did you all survive that things attack?" questioned Freeman immediately, he was dumbfounded by Turk and Felicia's sudden appearance.

"Well, we didn't. I fell to my doom and Felicia died because of losing too much blood. Luckily a Bishop revived us." said Turk happily.

"But we can't save Nevan though; he was way past saving point…" Turk explained in a low voice.

"Don't worry Turk, we'll win this battle for him. We will win it for Nevan!" said Freeman as his spirit intensified.

"Here you go, a brand new Black Metus. Your favorite color combined with your favorite weapon of all time." said Turk as he gave Freeman his new bow.

"Now let's get out of this rotten building and start fighting!" said Turk sternly as he lifted his Berserker in the air.

Turk gave his war cry as he rushed out of the building to join Felicia on their domination towards this evil beast. Freeman followed as well as he concentrated even harder this time, to finally defeat It. Freeman rushed out of the ruined building and immediately caught up with his other team mates.

"Felicia, you go and send that thing to Hell!" shouted Turk.

"Roger." replied Felicia as she Flash Jumped while throwing Avenger stars towards the unknown being.

"Freeman, you go ahead and snipe him! I'm counting on ya!" shouted Turk again.

"I'll be here and try the best of luck to kill this monster!"

"I roger that, Turk." said Freeman.

Freeman immediately jumped towards a ruined building's wall, he kept away his Metus and took out two knifes and planted the two into the wall. He climbed the wall using the knife till he reached the top. At the top, he equipped back his bow and concentrated hard, this time to do a powerful and finishing blow to the God-like beast, he immediately concentrated to do the ultimate Strafe he has never done before. But before that, disaster struck, the beast suddenly unleashed an explosion and knocked away everyone on the field excluding Freeman. Suddenly the beast teleported behind Freeman, possibly to kill him for the second time.

Freeman was punched in the back so hard his spinal cord broke. He was paralyzed but did not suffer a stroke or anything else incredibly. He was knock-backed towards the center of the battlefield, the masked attacker appeared a second later.

"It is time to kill you again…" screamed the demonic voice.

"No more!" shouted Turk as he threw his Berserker at the beast. It hit the attacker's neck but it only damaged his voice box.

The sword bounced off somewhere else.

Its scream became more terrifying as It teleported and punched Turk through his body. Felicia not going to give up so easily, gather all the she could get and lunged Turk's Berserker into the beast's body. It screamed in pain as it punched through Felicia as well. Then, the beast's arms lit up in a fire that once was lit up inside Freeman's body.

"Who… are you…" questioned Freeman.

"I….am… Azreal…." said the demon, known as Azreal.

The flames got hotter and hotter inside both of Turk's and Felicia's body, but did they not cried nor did they feel pain; they were finally free.

"Freeman…you're the best brother…I ever had…. I think…Nevan would agree on that too…." Felicia said using her final amounts of energy.

"Freeman…I wanted to know that…I love you man… I wished things were better for us…the past…6 years were the best years I ever had…but still…I wished…it was better…" cried Turk.

Both of Felicia and Turk were burned till their corpses were on fire. Freeman cried hearing the final words of his only family members. Freeman agreed with Turk on one thing, he wished everything could have been better. Azreal screamed as it readies itself. Black skeletal wings started to sprout from Azreal's back, sharp sounds came and pierced the air. Azreal said one final thing,

"My purpose here…is complete…. I have balanced…the world…I am ready…to go back…." Azreal said in a soft voice, not as rough and as demonic as always.

Azreal flew in high-speed towards the atmosphere, it had a burst effect and Freeman was knock-backed to a wall. He then stays there ever since and no one came to help him or even noticed him at all….

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Wow…" cried Dave.

"That's a tragic story."

"It is not a story, stranger."

"Listen stranger, listen!"

Dave was back in reality as he heard screams of horror. He heard people shouting "Help me!" and "What is that demonic thing?!"

"Free….man…." said a rough demonic voice.

"I came… for you…." said the voice as it roared through the city, everyone in Kerning City ran for their lives.

Dave then knew what was that thing; it was Azreal! Azreal flew towards Freeman while pushing Dave away.

"It has been a long time, Azreal." coughed Freeman.

"Too… long…" said Azreal.

"Stranger… be warned… this is not a story…."

"Azreal is real, he is going to destroy us all. Because of this, stranger, I want you to save humanity… I want you to save the ones you love, stranger…."

" Remember, stranger. Do not die as I have died... Do not fail as I have failed..."

"Goodbye, Dave." was Freeman's final words before he disintegrated by Azreal's punch to the heart.

Dave has now been bestowed a burden. The burden of being a hero. The burden that made him into a prisoner of war.


End file.
